Air quality in Gliwice

What is the current level of air pollution in Gliwice?

Gliwice is a city in Upper Silesia, in southern Poland. It can be found in the Silesian Highlands, on the Kłodnica river about 25 kilometres west of Katowice which is the regional capital of the Silesian Voivodeship.

It is the third largest city in the area with an estimated population of 178,000 residents in 2019. It is an industrialised city having started manufacturing steel with coal-mining before changing to the automotive and machine industry.

At the start of the fourth quarter of 2021, Gliwice was experiencing a period of “Moderate” air quality with a US AQI reading of 74. This reading can be used as a benchmark when comparing other cities around the world. Data is collected with regards to the six most prolific air pollutants commonly found and this figure is calculated from there. If information is not available for all six, then a figure can be deduced using the information that is available. The only record kept for Gliwice was for PM2.5 which was 23.1 µg/m³. At this level, it is more than twice the recommended target figure by the World Health Organisation (WHO) of 10 µg/m³. However, no amount of air pollution is safe but 10 µg/m³ is suggested as being acceptable.

With levels such as these, the advice would be to stay indoors and close the doors and windows to prevent more dirty air from entering the rooms. Those who are sensitive to poorer air quality should take extra care and limit their exposure when outdoors. There is an app available from AirVisual which can be found in any app store and is suitable for most mobile devices. This will tell you of the latest levels of pollution which might help decide whether or not to go outside.

Does the level of air pollution vary throughout the year in Gliwice?

Looking back at the figure for 2020 released by IQAir.com, it can be seen that during the month of July, Gliwice enjoyed a period of “Good” air quality with a reading of 10.8 µg/m³. Figures need to be between 10 and 12 µg/m³ to qualify as such. With this exception, the months from February until the end of November returned “Moderate” quality air with readings between 12.1 and 35.4 µg/m³. The remaining two months of December and January saw the air quality plunge into the “Unhealthy for sensitive groups” category with readings of 40.4 and 43 µg/m³, respectively.

Records for air pollution were only kept from 2020 when the recorded figure was 22.1 µg/m³. but this might not be a true reflection of reality because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Many vehicles were out of use because the workers were encouraged to work from home and not drive to the office each day. Several small factories and production units were also temporarily closed so their emissions were also eliminated.

What is the main source of the polluted air in Gliwice?

The air condition in Gliwice is one of the worst in Poland. The air is full of PM10 and PM2.5 dust. Their source is low emissions, i.e., households burning low-quality coal and waste, as well as industry and car transport.

In the city, the level of PM10 dust exceeds the permissible daily concentration above 50 µg/m³ and is maintained for 104 days a year (with the permissible standard of just 35 days).

Combustion processes outside the industry, and thus mainly low emissions, are responsible for almost half of the emissions of all PM10 dusts emitted in Poland. Road transport resulted in the emission of 9 per cent of PM10 (fuel combustion, abrasion of brakes, tyres and road surfaces). Energy production and industry contributed to PM10 emissions to a similar extent as road transport (9 per cent and 8 per cent respectively).

The dominant share of low emissions in the emission of PM10 dust translates into very high concentrations of this pollutant during the heating season. Exceeding the daily norm for PM10 dust outside the heating season is rarely observed, and high concentrations occur only from autumn to spring, i.e., when a large part of Poles heat their houses with coal and wood, and often also with garbage.

Is anything being done to improve the air quality in Gliwice?

The Gliwice Low Emission Reduction Program is in force in the city. As part of it, residents can apply for an eco-subsidy for the replacement of old coal-fired stoves or for thermal modernization of a building in the amount of 80 per cent of the investment. In addition, in 2018, 60 buildings are to be connected to the central heating network.

In 2019 a very large infrastructure investment for the modernization of desulphurization and denitrification installations were approved. These solutions that will be implemented in Gliwice are the most modern at the moment. They allow for reducing the emission of pollutants by a few or even a dozen or so per cent. This, in turn, will improve air quality in the city. Thanks to this investment, dust and gas pollution will be reduced by approximately 620,000 kg/year.

What impact on human health does polluted air have?

Particulate matter and ozone pollution, in particular, pose serious threats to the health of European citizens, affecting their quality of life and reducing their life expectancy. However, different pollutants can have different sources and different effects.

Particulate matter is the air pollutant that causes the greatest harm to human health. Particulate matter is so light that it can float in the air. Some of its particles are so small that they not only penetrate deep into our lungs, but also enter our bloodstream, just like oxygen.

Some dusts are emitted directly into the atmosphere. Others are the result of chemical reactions involving precursor gases, typically sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and ammonia, and volatile organic compounds. These dusts can consist of various chemical compounds, and their impact on our health and the environment depends on their composition. Some heavy metals, such as arsenic, cadmium, mercury and nickel, can also be found in particulate matter. A recent study by the World Health Organisation (WHO) shows that fine dust (PM2.5, particles less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter) may pose a greater health risk than originally estimated.

Ozone is highly toxic and aggressive. High ozone levels corrode materials, buildings and living tissue. It limits the ability of plants to carry out photosynthesis and hinders the absorption of carbon dioxide. In addition, ozone hinders the reproduction and growth of plants, leading to lower yields and limiting forest growth.

In the human body, ozone causes pneumonia and bronchitis.